3 of 6For one, we love the integrated spoiler out back, running straight across the rear deck and through the taillight lenses.

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4 of 6A front-view of the next-generation Porsche Boxster.

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5 of 6A view inside of the new Porsche Boxster.

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6 of 6A sleek profile is retained with the new Porsche Boxster.

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2013 Porsche Boxster

It's hard to believe that it's been 15 years since the original Porsche Boxster bowed, but as Ferry himself was fond of saying, “Die Zeit vergeht, wenn man Spaß!” (“Time flies when you're having fun!”)

This third-generation Boxster retains its lovely mid- engine proportions while boasting some nifty new design cues.

For one, we love the integrated spoiler out back, running straight across the rear deck and through the taillight lenses. The windshield, even more steeply raked than before, gives the Boxster a cool going-fast-while-standing-still look.

Though the base Boxster engine gets downsized from 2.9 liters to 2.7, it amazingly turns out more power than before, at 265 hp. The Boxster S retains its 3.4-liter flat-six, rated at 315 hp, and either engine can be fitted with a standard six-speed manual or an optional PDK seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox borrowed from the 911.

While the car has grown in almost all directions—stretching 1.1 inches longer than the previous car and sitting on a wheelbase that is 2.4 inches longer—from a sunshine standpoint, it means the top is even bigger, too, reaching further back toward the rear wheels while incorporating a larger backlight. Thankfully, those clever Porsche engineers managed to reduce the Boxster's heft at the curb by up to 77 pounds, despite the car's growth spurt.

Like its big brother, the 911 cabrio, the Boxster top gets an elegantly tonneau-coverless treatment, the whole assembly folding like an accordion onto itself while still presenting a perfectly polished finished look. And opening and closing the top is now a fully automated affair. Press the center-console-mounted rocker switch, and the magnesium-framed top deploys or folds in just nine seconds, at speeds up to 31 mph.

Despite the bigger glass, however, rearward visibility suffers more than before, not only because the rear decklid sits higher than the previous car's, but also because the rollover hoops are now fixed in place. And the effect is worse when the top is up.

Our easy solution? Keep the top stashed.

2012 Porsche 911 Cabriolet

ON SALE: Summer

BASE PRICE: $50,450

DRIVETRAIN: 2.7-liter, 265-hp, 206-lb-ft H6; RWD, six-speed manual

CURB WEIGHT: 2,888 lb

0-60 MPH: 5.5 sec (mfr)

FUEL ECONOMY (EPA): 29 mpg (est)

This is without a doubt the best soft-top in automotive history. To save weight, Porsche purposely did not go with a hardtop, but this one is as close to a hardtop as you'll get, with lower frame parts made of aluminum and three flat cloth-wrapped magnesium panels swaddled in insulation and then skinned with a headliner. Hit a button, and in 13 seconds, the roof is down and you are cruising, the top nestled in the famous Z-fold behind the passenger compartment. Bonus: The top can be operated at speeds up to 31 mph. No need to pull over if you're surprised by a gully washer!A wind buffer also deploys at the press of a button and then stows automatically. Top up, it's quiet as a clamshell. Top down, there is minimal or almost no buffeting but all the sunshine you can handle.As for the rest of the car, powertrain choices carry over from the coupe, with base Carrera cabrios getting the 350-hp 3.4-liter boxer-six, while Carrera S models get the 400-hp 3.8-liter engine. Shifting duties fall to either a seven-speed manual or seven-speed PDK dual-clutch box.With the top up, the 911's profile comes this close to matching that of the coupe. It even cuts through the air as smoothly, with a remarkable 0.30 Cd. Inside, that translates to two decibels less noise than in the old car.The cabrio also gets all the same bits that suspend the coupe. Specific to the cabriolet are a reinforced windshield frame, doorsills and B-pillars, resulting in a body that is torsionally 18 percent stiffer than the previous model while weighing 132 pounds lighter.ON SALE: NowBASE PRICE: $93,700DRIVETRAIN: 3.4-liter, 350-hp, 287-lb-ft H6; RWD, seven-speed manualCURB WEIGHT: 3,197 lb0-60 MPH: 4.8 sec (mfr)FUEL ECONOMY (EPA): 23 mpg (est)